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Council approves $88,500 contract with Eagle Hill for police strategic plan
Summary
Sterling Heights voted to hire Eagle Hill Consulting for an organizational-focused police strategic plan, authorizing the city manager to sign a contract with an estimated first-year cost of $88,500; council members said recent leadership changes make the study timely.
The Sterling Heights City Council voted to accept a proposal from Eagle Hill Consulting LLC to conduct a police department strategic-planning study, authorizing the city manager to sign the agreement and noting an estimated first-year expenditure of $88,500.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool introduced the item and Police Chief Satterfield described the effort as focused on organizational effectiveness and leadership alignment following significant promotions and turnover. "A healthy organizational environment influences how employees work together, how leadership is developed, how decisions are made," the chief said during the presentation.
Gwen Chandler, a senior manager with Eagle Hill, described a three-phase engagement composed of discovery, analysis and recommendations that will use interviews, focus groups and employee surveys. "Discovery is always our first step," Chandler said. "We really focus on making sure we hear from a wide range of people throughout the organization so that we can understand what the dynamics are and what the issues are."
Council members pressed staff on whether the work would constitute a "strategic cultural plan" or a broader strategic plan; Chandler and the city attorney said the proposal centers on organizational effectiveness and can include cultural issues where they emerge. Councilman Yanez said he wanted to avoid buying "softballs and ending up buying footballs"—that is, funding the wrong scope—and asked for clarity on deliverables and participation. The consultant and staff said council members will be included as stakeholders and that the project emphasizes feasible, prioritized recommendations.
Several members cited recent personnel changes and bargaining-unit support as reasons to proceed. "We have a lot of new hires, including an all new command staff," Councilmember Radke said. The council approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. Staff indicated an initial timeline of about four months for the first set of recommendations.
